Film roller



Nov. 30 1926. 1,608,484

J. M. ANDREWS FILM ROLLER Filed July 24. 1924 Fatented or. fill, 192d.

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JARVIS M. ANDREWS, 0F WGLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSQIGNOR, BY lllIlllSl lE AS- SIGNMENTS, TQ TECHNIGQLOR MOTION PICTURE CORPORATION, OF EUSTUN, Mild- SACHUSETTS, A. CORPORA'IIUN OEMAINE.

runn- ROLLER.

Application filed July 24,

This invention relates to rollers and more particularly to rollers for the guidance or conveyance of materialsin sheet form, such as cinema films or the like.

lln the handling of strips of film and other flexible sheet materials of which films are typical, it is frequently necessary to convey the sheet througlra given path and at the same time to support and guide it 1 preferably with as slight an amount of contact as possible. lt is also desirable that such contact shall be substantially. devoid offriction, but that it shall he of sufficient also encountered. The invention will acfill til

force to effectively direct the course of the strip and to substantially prevent its uncontrolled slippage fromthe desired path.

These conditions are appropriately repre sented by the passage of cinema films through coloring vats, as hy the flotation method, for the production of coloredlreproductions. Here, the additional consideration of thetraclring or creeping of the color solution over the edges of the film is co'rdingly he described in its adaptation to such a purpose, as typical of the general purposes and circumstances of use for which it is applicable,v as will more fully appear from the following disclosure;

A preferred embodiment of the invention, as adapted to this purpose, is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the filmdipping mechanism with parts hroken away;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a roller parallel to the axis; w

3 is a similar view of a modified form of roller;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of another modification; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of another modification. a

Referring to Fig. l, numeral 1 indicates a film-treating tank, containing the fluid hath 2 upon which is floated the film guided by rollers d and o rotatahly mounted upon the axes 6 and '7 in the supports 8 and 9', respectively, of the frame l0. in Fig. 2 the roller 4 (or 5) is shown having symmetrical concave conical surfaces it and 12 merging into a substantially cylindrical portion 13 at their spices and into surfaces of increasing slope, eventually extending 1924. Serial no. 727,917.

substantially radially outward from the axis and terminating in fiat surfaces perpendicular to the axis as in Fig. 3, or slightly convex conical surfaces lland 15, respectively, at their bases. Such radially extending surfaces or flanges constitute lateral guides for a film passing over the roller and serve to positively prevent side-slipping thereof. in Fig. 3 a modified form of roller is shown in which the opposing symmetrical cone-shaped surfaces 11 and 12 are convex, each meeting an annular flange 16 at their bases and joined together at their apices hy the cylindrical portion 13. Fig. l is a further modification intermediate those shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in which the conical surfaces 11" and 12 are circular cones.

The functioning of the apparatus will now he described. The tank 1 being filled to a suitable depth with the treating fluid 2, the film 3 is conducted downwardly under rollers 4 and 5 and connected with any suitable feeding mechanism for drawing it con-- being thus treated, the fluid shall not in any manner reach the untreated surface. This is especially diflicult with cinema films on account of the sprocket-holes, which are provided along the edges and which tend to pick up pellicles of the liquid. These pellicles burst if they come into contact with the roller and are likely to spatter upon the dry side, thus spotting it and ruining the whole film for further use, hut if the pellicles are not touched they may he removed toward the wet side by suction or an air blast without spattering upon the dry side of the film.

The present invention obviates any such contingency, by supporting the film while passing over the guide rollers upon its edges ltlll Then successive rollers are properly aligned there is little tendency for the film creases with the amount of displacement of the film against it and eventually overcomes the friction on the opposite edge, forcing the raised side of the film backward toward he center.

Thus in Fig. 3 if the film were to be displaced to the position 3', as the edge of the film supported upon "the surface 11 descends toward the center of the roller the opposite edge will be forced to ride up upon he surface 12, which -is of increasing slope until it merges into a plane perpendicular to the axis of the roller as a limit which will positively prevent further slippage. But before reaching this limit the tendency will be-for he edge of the film on surface 11 to slip back and the film as a whole to resume its former position. i

Qbviously, the exact dimensions and curvatures which will be employed in any given case will be determined bythe particular circumstances involved. in some cases. the curvature may be convex as in Fig. 3. especially for less rigid sheets, or it may have an intermediate position. as represented by the right circular cones shown in Fig. 4.

Other modifications and adaptations of the invention will be suggested by the above disclosure. For example, Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in which narrow ledges 21 are provided at the junctions between the conical surfaces 22 and the flanges 24. It will also be evident that the invention is applicable Wherever it is necessary to guide .ent specification and the following claims.

. I claim:

1. A roller for guiding a strip of resilient material, having opposed Strip-engaging surfaces tapering toward each other and terminating at their remote edges ina surface extending substantially radially from the axis, whereby the engagement of he strip with the roller is confined substantially to the edges of the strip.

2. A roller for guiding a strip of resilient material, having opposed strip-engaging ing surfaces tapering toward each other, and radial flanges at the outer ends of said surfaces. the inclined surfaces normally engaging the edges of the strip and the flanges preventing the strip from running off the inclined surfaces.

3. Apparatus for guiding a strip of resil ient material along a predetermined path comprising a series of rollers having conical strip-engaging surfaces tapering towardient material along a predetermined path comprising two guide rollers and means between the rollers for wetting one side of the strip. the roller with which the strip contacts after being wet having conical stripengaging surfaces for guiding the strip by edge engagement.

5. A roller for guiding a strip of IESilient material. having opposed surfaces shaped o support the strip by contact eon-- fined substantially to the edges of the film. and lateral guides extending substantially radially from the axis thereof for retaining the film on said surfaces.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this ninth day of July, 1924.

JARVIS M. ANDREWS. 

